Learn all about Benjamin Moore Intense White (OC-51) in this paint color review from The Color Concierge.
Benjamin Moore Intense White is a gorgeous, darker white paint color perfect for living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and more. It is an organic color that looks beautiful next to plants, wood cabinets, and other earthier finishes.
Intense White is a fabulous color to use if you want a slightly darker white with cool undertones (but it won’t look blue). It will show a very nice contrast with a brighter white ceiling and trim color.
BM Intense White is also known as Benjamin Moore Sheep’s Wool (857). The two hues are exactly the same color, just part of different collections. BM Intense White is part of the Benjamin Moore Off White collection, and BM Sheep’s Wool is part of the Benjamin Moore Classics® collection.
Please keep reading to learn more about Benjamin Moore’s Intense White and how to use it in your home.
*This post contains affiliate links for products I use and love. If you click on some links and make a purchase, I will get a small commission at no cost to you. This helps pay for the costs of the blog, so I can continue to offer great content to our readers.
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What is the LRV of BM Intense White?
Intense White (sample) has an LRV of 73.36, which is pretty light but makes it on the darker side for a white paint color. LRV is short for Light Reflectance Value, which measures how light (LRV=100) or dark (LRV=0) a color is.
What are the Benjamin Moore Intense White undertones?
The undertones of Intense White are a warm violet, like a light version of elephant color (violet-gray). Although the Benjamin Moore website says it has cool, blue-gray undertones, this color is too earthy and warm to be blue.
Is Intense White warm or cool?
It depends on which color you compare it with. If you compare Benjamin Moore Intense White to beige or a warm white like Dove Wing, it will look cool. If you compare it to a blue-gray color like Stonington Gray (color review article), it will look warm.
Compared to today’s light beiges and complex creams it can look cool, but it’s such a beautiful organic color, you might still want to use it!
Sample BM Intense White
We always recommend that you test paint colors in your home because lighting can completely change a color, both on interiors and exteriors.
In the old days, this meant we painted a large poster board with sample pots and a huge mess.
Now we have a better way to test paint, with Samplize Peel-and-Stick samples!
- Samples pre-painted with 2 coats of real paint from the manufacturer.
- Large 9” x 14” samples to see the color better in the lighting.
- Delivered overnight
- Colors are accurate
- Less expensive than painting a large poster board with sample pots
- No mess, and no toxic paint to dispose of
I use these in my color consulting practice for exact results. Discover Samplize peel-and-stick paint samples and sample Benjamin Moore Intense White via the link below.
When should I use Benjamin Moore Intense White?
There are so many potential uses for Intense White. It’s a truly versatile color that can work in many different spaces and lighting conditions.
Can I use BM Intense White as an interior trim color?
I don’t recommend using Intense White trim for interiors. It’s too dark and won’t provide enough contrast with most wall colors.
I also don’t recommend this color for color drenching (article) (using the same color on the walls as the trim and ceiling) because it’s too light to have a dramatic effect and too dark to look like a white inside. If you don’t have enough light, it will look dingy without contrast with a white trim and ceiling color.
Can I try BM Intense White cabinets?
Intense White cabinets (article) can work really well, especially with cool quartz countertops that have similar veining colors and with a classic white subway tile backsplash.
Intense White won’t go with very warm granite countertops but may look good with some quartzites.
You can see a similar look in our post about Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist (color review article), which is a slightly darker version of Intense White. Balboa Mist cabinets are featured below.
Is an Intense White living room a good idea?
Yes, Intense White would work really well for main living spaces like a living room or open-concept area. It’s a lovely foundation for art and other decor and works well with wood floors (such as in the photo below) and other earthy finishes.
Would an Intense White bedroom work well?
Absolutely! This is such a soft, calming bedroom paint color (article). We recently used Benjamin Moore Intense White for a client’s nursery and just love how it turned out.
This color looked just as great paired with the large, colorful art on the wall as it did with the neutral gray chair and wood floors. The Benjamin Moore Intense White walls will also be able to grow with the child and work with many different styles of decor over the years.
Is Intense White a good whole house color?
It is! It looks great throughout the whole house (article). As you test this color throughout your home, make sure that you test it next to your finishes to make sure they flow well.
Can I use Benjamin Moore Intense White exterior paint?
Yes, I love this color for exteriors. In areas of the country with high sun (like in the South), it will look almost like a white exterior paint (article). As you go further north, like in Michigan, New England, or the Pacific Northwest, you can use it as a very light gray contrasted with a brighter white color for trim.
Outside, Intense White will look similar to the Sherwin-Williams City Loft exterior (article) paint below. While City Loft is slightly darker than Intense White, with an LRV of 70, it achieves a similar look.
Which Colors Look Best with Benjamin Moore Intense White?
Intense White is a flexible paint color that is not too warm or cool, allowing it to pair well with many colors and finishes.
Does BM Intense White go with green?
I love using BM Intense White with green paint and decor. Our client’s nursery featured a gorgeous green accent wall painted with Benjamin Moore Rosepine (sample), which worked nicely with the Intense White walls.
Does Intense White go with blue-gray paint colors?
While Intense White does not have blue undertones, it’s cool enough that it works well with blue-gray paint colors (article).
You can see how similar paint colors look with blue-gray paint colors in the images below.
Sherwin-Williams Grey Heron (color review article), for example, is slightly darker than Intense White and looks gorgeous with a Sherwin-Williams Granite Peak (color review article) fireplace accent wall (article).
Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist (color review article), which is also a bit darker than Intense White, looks lovely with a blue-gray interior door painted with Benjamin Moore Timber Wolf.
Does Intense White go with blue?
In addition to more muted blue-gray paint colors, Intense White can also work well with bright blue hues. It’s a wonderful foundation for colorful art, such as the image in my client’s home below.
What are the Best Trim and Ceiling Colors For BM Intense White?
We recommend using a clean or slightly off-white trim color to pair with Intense White for a crisp contrast. Some good trim colors include Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace (color review article), Benjamin Moore Oxford White or Benjamin Moore Simply White (color review article).
Use Chantilly Lace or Oxford White in a room with low light to create a higher contrast and prevent dinginess in the corners.
Benjamin Moore Intense White Alternatives
There are many potential BM Intense White alternatives. The dark white paint color that’s right for your home depends on your lighting, decor, and hard finishes. Use the guide below to help test and compare similar paint colors in your home.
Similar Paint Colors
These colors are good alternatives and are very similar to Intense White.
Benjamin Moore Intense White vs. Sherwin-Williams Drift of Mist
These colors are very close! If you’re looking for a Benjamin Moore Intense White Sherwin-Williams alternative, then consider SW Drift of Mist (sample). It will probably get you closer than a paint match. They aren’t exactly the same (Drift of Mist is darker and slightly fleshier), but close enough to do the same job.
Warmer Versions of BM Intense White
If you test Intense White and feel that you need a warmer color with similar properties, consider SW Mortar or BM Classic Gray. They both have green undertones to make the color warmer.
Benjamin Moore Intense White vs. Sherwin-Williams Mortar
Sherwin-Williams Mortar (sample) is just barely lighter than Intense White, with an LRV of 74. Mortar (color review article) is also a bit warmer than Intense White, with soft green undertones.
Benjamin Moore Intense White vs. Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
Benjamin Moore Classic Gray (sample) has almost the same LRV as Intense White, at 73.7. With its soft green undertones, Classic Gray (color review article) is warmer than Intense White.
Lighter Versions of BM Intense White
If you like the color of Intense White but want something a bit brighter, these paint colors can work well:
Benjamin Moore Intense White vs Benjamin Moore Cloud Cover
BM Cloud Cover (sample) is an off-white paint color with an LRV of 80.3. Cloud Cover (color review article) has similar, subtle violet undertones but looks a lot brighter in place.
Benjamin Moore Intense White vs. Sherwin-Williams Origami White
Sherwin-Williams Origami White (sample) is slightly lighter and warmer than Intense White, with subtle violet undertones and an LRV of 76.
Benjamin Moore Intense White vs Benjamin Moore Silver Satin
BM Silver Satin is just barely lighter than Intense White. With subtle violet undertones, it is a bit warmer than Intense White.
Darker Versions of BM Intense White
These paint colors have the same undertone as Intense White but are slightly darker, and perfect if you want a darker version.
This works much better than asking for “Intense White” made 25% darker, for example. There is no Benjamin Moore formula to make a color darker or lighter. The best thing to do is to select a darker version of the color that you want.
Below we show color comparisons for darker versions. If you want a much darker version of Intense White, try Baltic Gray or Willow Creek (not shown here).
Benjamin Moore Intense White vs. Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist
Balboa Mist (sample) is darker than Intense White, with an LRV of 65.9. It has violet undertones that are similar to Intense White’s undertones.
Benjamin Moore Intense White vs. Benjamin Moore Collingwood
Collingwood (sample) is much darker than BM Intense White, with an LRV of 61.5. Collingwood (color review article) looks much more like a light violet-gray on the wall than a dark white like Intense White.
Key Learning Points
Benjamin Moore Intense White is a dark white paint color with subtle violet undertones. It’s a versatile paint color that can work with many colors, decor, and finishes.
- BM Intense White is a flexible paint color that can look warm or cool, depending on the colors it is paired with.
- Intense White can work well as a foundational white paint color, either for a whole house color palette or a living room, kitchen, or open-concept space.
- Intense White pairs well with various colors, including green, blue, blue-green, and blue-gray hues.
Remember: NEVER, EVER use paint matches from a different brand than the one specified. Results are poor and there are no standards for the sheens. Even though your painter may truly believe it can be done, don’t do it. Read our full guide to results from paint matching (Article).
No matter what, always test your paint colors. It’s a standard best practice. Whenever I test my paint colors, they are perfect, and when I don’t test they turn out wrong. Read our guide to learn how to test your paint colors (Article) .
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Related Posts
- Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist Color Review
- Sherwin-Williams City Loft White Painted Brick Exterior
- Sherwin-Williams Mortar Color Review
- Benjamin Moore Cloud Cover Color Review
- Best Benjamin Moore White Paint Colors
- Best White Paint Colors for Dark Rooms
About the Author
Hi, I’m Michelle Marceny, founder, owner, and Principal Color Designer at The Color Concierge. I believe a fresh coat of paint can completely transform a space. The Color Concierge was born out of my drive to help clients fall back in love with their homes. My clients trust me to help them find the perfect paint color for their home – whether it’s a whole-house paint color scheme or ideas for a single room.
Since The Color Concierge was founded in 2017, we have completed over 3000 color consultations, both online and in-person. I am a Certified Color Expert with 7 years of experience creating interior and exterior color palettes throughout North America.
We love your comments! Please note that the blog is meant as general advice, and it is not possible to give specific answers to your paint questions. If you want more specific advice, our Online Color Consultations will help you pick your paint colors. Thank you for your understanding.
